The Study
The Moderating Role of Drinking Water Habit on the Effect of High- Purine Dietary Intake on Uric Acid Levels in Adults and the Elderly
This study looked at a group of people and saw that those who ate lots of meat and didn't drink enough water often had higher uric acid levels. But it didn't change anyone's habits to see if that caused the change—it just noticed patterns. So we can say these things are linked, but we can't say drinking more water will definitely lower uric acid.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Eating lots of meat, fish, or organ meats raises uric acid, which can cause gout — but drinking enough water helps your body flush it out.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — drinking enough water cuts the risk of high uric acid by more than 70% even if you eat lots of high-purine foods.
- 2People who ate purine-rich foods 5+ times a week and drank less than 1 liter of water daily had a 71.4% chance of high uric acid.
- 3Those who ate the same foods but drank 2+ liters daily had only a 20% chance.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Jurnal Ners dan Kebidanan (Journal of Ners and Midwifery)
Year
2025
Authors
Anita Rahmawati, Amelia Anggi Dwi Lestari, Ulfa Husnul Fata
Related Content
Claims (6)
When the body breaks down purines from food, it produces more uric acid in the blood.
Adults and elderly people who drink less than 1 liter of water per day have 2.91 times higher odds of developing hyperuricemia than those who drink at least 2 liters per day, even when accounting for diet, age, sex, and education level.
In adults and elderly people, hyperuricemia occurs in 71.4% of those who eat high-purine foods and drink less than 1 liter of water per day, and in 20.0% of those who eat high-purine foods but drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
People who eat purine-rich foods five or more times per week have 3.37 times higher odds of having high uric acid levels in their blood than those who eat such foods less often, regardless of their age, sex, or education level.
People who eat high-purine foods and drink at least 2 liters of water per day have a 71.4% lower prevalence of hyperuricemia than people who eat high-purine foods and drink less water.
In adults and elderly individuals, consuming a diet high in purines while drinking insufficient water is associated with higher levels of uric acid in the blood compared to those with adequate hydration.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.